A History of the University of Pennsylvania from Its Foundation to A. D. 1770/Chapter 21
The young tutors Barton and Duché have been already named. No minute appears recording the appointment of Thomas Barton, though by the Treasurer's accounts he was on duty and received a salary of £50 per annum as early as November, 1752, and the Trustees voted him 17 November, 1753, an augmentation of £10. Jacob Duché's nomination was due to the order of the Trustees, 13 February, 1753, "the number of Scholars in the Latin School being greatly increased, it is resolved that another Usher be provided with all convenient speed," and on 17 November, 1753, he was granted a salary of £40 per annum, the Treasurer's accounts showing he had been then six months on duty. This young man, but just fifteen years of age, continued, but without formal appointment, eighteen months in this work, as Mr. Coleman's entries charge him with no payments after August, 1754. It interfered with his duties as a scholar preparing for a degree, which he obtained with honor at the first commencement in 1757. His talents secured his election as Professor of Oratory in December, 1759, and he was further honored by the election as a trustee in February, 1761, in the room of William Masters who had died in the November previous. Some account of his ecclesiastical, political, and literary life may be found in place when we consider him as a Trustee.
Thomas Barton, born in Ireland in 1730, of English parentage, was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and when about twenty years of age came to this country and opened a school in Norriton township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the neighborhood of the Rittenhouse family. The following year he accepted the tutorship in the Academy, and he here continued until 1754, when at a meeting of the Trustees on the 13th August "having by letter directed to them signified his Design of leaving the School and going into Orders; they consented to his Dismission in a Month or two, agreeable to his Request." He was ordained by the Bishop of London, 29 January, 1755, and returning to Philadelphia in the following April, he shortly entered on his duties as Missionary in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, from whence he ministered at York, and Carlisle and Shippensburg. His interest in the Indians was warmly aroused, but the defeat of Braddock marred his plans for usefulness among them. He became Chaplain to General Forbes in his expedition of 1758. For nearly twenty years he was Rector of St. James Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; his life was full of untiring activities in the frontier settlements. In the Revolution he felt that his oath of allegiance as a minister bound him to England, and he parted with all his interests in Pennsylvania, and arrived within the British lines in New York in 1778. He died 25 May, 1780, and was interred in the chancel of St. George's Church, New York. He preached a notable sermon on Braddock's Defeat, which with an introductory letter by Provost Smith received a very extended circulation, entitled Unanimity and Publick Spirit. He had sought Mr. Smith's judgment upon it and asked his views on the office and duty of Protestant ministers, and the right of exercising their pulpit liberty in the handling and treating of civil as well as religious affairs, and more especially in times of public danger and calamity.[1]
This embodied a reference to the Friends then in power in the Assembly who were opposed to all warfare defensive as well as offensive. And the Provost enclosing a copy of this production to the Archbishop of Canterbury, informs him upon the general consternation that followed General Braddock's Defeat, I wrote to the Missionaries on the Frontiers as far as I knew them, exhorting them to make a noble Stand for liberty, and vindicating the office and Duties of a Protestant Ministry against all the Objections of the Quakers and other Spiritualists who are against all clergy.[2]
As we use the latter word to-day, such association would not be sought by the former now. It may well be granted, however, that the Friends were consistent, and that had the whole community been permeated with the just principles of which they claimed to be the exponent, there would have existed no hostility or treachery among the Indians, and the frontiers would have had the defence of righteousness. John Penn, the Proprietary, said of Barton:
Nor has he done anything in the military way but what hath increased his character for piety, and that of a sincerely religious man and zealous minister. In short he is a most worthy, active and serviceable Pastor and Missionary.
Mr. Barton married in 1753 a sister of David Rittenhouse. The College and Academy conferred on him in 1760 the degree of Master of Arts, and the same was conferred by Kings College in 1770. His son Benjamin Smith Barton was in 1789 elected Professor of Natural History and Botany in the College, and in 1813 from that was made Professor of Materia Medica in the University. And his grandson William P. C. Barton was chosen Professor of Botany, in 1816, succeeding his uncle, whose death occurred in 1815.
In his son's Memoirs of David Rittenhouse it is said that his death put a period to the sincere and intimate friendship between that gentleman and Mr Rittenhouse, which had subsisted almost thirty years. This friendship, which may be said to have commenced almost in the youth of both parties, continued without interruption until the year 1776; when the declaration of American independence produced, unhappily, some abatement of it on each side; at least, so far as related to that great political measure, respecting which they entertained different opinions. For, although Mr. Barton was, in truth, warmly attached to the principles of the English Whigs; and had, on various occasions, manifested his zeal for the liberties of the American people and rights of the colonists; his opinions were conscientiously opposed, and only these, to the expediency of that measure. Yet, it is believed, that the personal friendship of these intimate relatives was far from having ever subsided; the ties that early united them, were of the strongest kind; that union was of long continuance; and they were mutually sensible of each other's worth and talents.[3]
The loyal obituary notice of him which appeared in the Royal Gazette, 31 May, 1780, is worthy of record here:
On Thursday the 25th inst. departed this life aged 50 years, the Reverend Thomas Barton, A. M., the Society's Missionary for Lancaster, in the Province of Pennsylvania. This worthy Clergyman was distinguished by a generous openness of temper, and liberality of sentiments, which joined to an exemplary conduct, and indefatigable zeal in discharging the duties of his function, gained him the love and esteem of his acquaintance; especially of his parishioners, who greatly respected him during his residence among them for 21 years. His unshaken loyalty and attachment to the Constitution, drew upon him the resentment of the rebels, and exposed him to many hardships. The violence of the times compelled him at last to leave his numerous family, and take refuge in this city;where he bore a tedious and most painful sickness with fortitude and resignation;he died in firm expectation of that immortality and glory which are the exalted privileges of sincere Christians. On Friday last his remains were interred in the Chancel of St. George's Chapel.
His wife had died 18 June, 1774 and was buried at Lancaster.[4]